Gingrich Expands Lead in South Carolina

A new Public Policy Polling survey finds Newt Gingrich heads into South Carolina primary day as the clear front runner in the state: he’s now leading with 37%, followed by Mitt Romney at 28%, Rick Santorum at 16% and Ron Paul at 14%.

Key finding: “Gingrich’s lead has actually increased in the wake of his ex-wife’s controversial interview with ABC. Although one night poll results should always be interpreted with caution, he led the final night of the field period by a 40-26 margin. One thing that continues to work to his advantage are the debates. 60% of primary voters report having watched the one last night, and Gingrich has a 46-23 lead with those folks.”

A new YouGov poll finds Gingrich at 33%, Romney at 29%, Paul at 18% and Santorum at 16%.

A new American Research Group poll shows Gingrich at 40%, Romney at 26%, Paul at 18% and Santorum at 13%.